Gasket bodies are frequently formed of a core or carrier with sealing aids of various types disposed thereon. Typically cores or carriers are made of metal and are stamped or otherwise formed from a blank sheet to provide a perimetric body of the final shape and size needed. The material which is removed to provide the typical perimetric gasket body becomes waste. With gaskets of a large size in plan view, the amount of waste can be very substantial.
One approach to minimizing such waste has been to form gasket sections which can be joined together to form a frame defining the perimetric gasket body. This is exemplified by patents such as U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,231,289 and 4,572,522. Gasket bodies of this type, require the formation of interlocking end configurations, and require assembly operations, as well as operations which assure, if possible, that the frame sections remain attached. This technique also requires multiple punch press tooling and increases storage and handling costs. Other approaches have been to slit a sheet of gasket material and to provide corners which connect gasket sections to allow them to freely pivot into predetermined gasket shapes. These are designed to allow the gasket to be moved between collapsed and operable positions a number of times and are exemplified by U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,161,808 and 3,583,711.
It would be desirable to provide a gasket core or carrier which is continuous, which is formed in one piece and which substantially reduces material waste, as well as one which lends itself to storage and shipment in a compact state, and to one which can be reshaped permanently into a final desired shape.